[plug] MS Curriculum at schools and TAFEs ...

[Peter Wright]

On Mon, Apr 23, 2001 at 03:05:19PM +0800, Sol Hanna wrote:
> Hi Pluggers,
> 
> I have been reading these posts with interest and wanted to add my $0.02 
> coming from a somewhat different angle. (I'm doing a Education & History 
> double major @ Mudrock).
[ snip verra int'restin stuff ]

Thanks for that Sol.

> Sol
> 
> PS: I think you guys were a little soft on Nick Miller's article. As an 
> ignorant newbie I don't need to point out that the actual Linux 
> operating system is superior to the Windoze OS (more stable, better 
> security, blah blah blah).

See below...

> Mr Miller's criticism of Linux as I saw it was based on the
(perceived)
> lack of applications for Linux thus confusing the operating system with
> applications.

Most people do this. I still find it irritating, but I'm more tolerant
of it now than I used to be. The classic is people saying "I'm using
Windows 97" when they mean MSOffice 97 and/or "I'm using Office 98" when they
mean MSOffice of some unspecified vintage under Windows 98.

The interesting detail when hearing things like this is how the person is
almost invariably _thinking_ of the application rather than the operating
system. These are the sort of people that you could have strong confidence
in leaving them with a maximised StarOffice window (under, say, Linux),
working on one of their documents, and they'd be unlikely to notice that
they're not using Windows for quite a while.

For these people, the application is everything - the operating system is
just that thing that gets in the way of them using the app.

> From what little I know about the whole OS war, etcetera, it seems that
> Linux has got Windoze surrounded on most flanks insofar as it is
> technically superior.

...or at least technically "as capable". Once you get to that point (which
Linux has been at for a while now in most respects), other factors such as
licensing and cost start to come into the picture.

> All that stands between Linux and popular acceptance is
> (a) having more commercial applications being ported to Linux

I can say from personal experience that it is really quite a weird feeling
(in a positive sense) opening a commercially packaged application (game, in
my case) "for Linux".

We just need the bloody things to appear more often on retail shelves. :)

> (b) people seeing through the M$ propaganda campaign

"Ha ha, the Emperor's not wearing any clothes!"

"Stupid kid."

:)

> (of which Corporate Tool Nick Miller is a part).

Um.

> Am I going too far?

I think that is more than a bit harsh on Nick. If you're going to criticise
him, do it for the right reasons.

Pete.
-- 
http://cygnus.uwa.edu.au/~pete/

--
hundred-and-one symptoms of being an internet addict:
130. You can't get out of your desk even if it's time to eat or time
     to go to the bathroom.